I made the platform and aprons yesterday, adding piers that support the weight at the back and outboard edges. There is also a pair of columns on the backside of the aprons which will be fitted with lag-bolts to fasten the platform down in the same manner as the stock seat cushion.
I spent most of today turning a four foot "mushroom" handrail into the capping rail. It was fairly complex since pockets were necessary to clear the u-shaped irons that the stock rear seat belt guides clip to. It also needed a rabbet for the back-plane and the angle channel that straddles the rear bulkhead, again in the same manner as the stock squab.
I'm rethinking my original plan .... now I think sable carpet on the platform and cashmere vinyl on the back-plane will look the best.

 

Looking really good...........watching with interest

 

Looks great so far!
I can't wait to see the final finished pics.

 

Subscribed!

 

Granny and Ellie May both say leave it unfinished - it's perfect as-is....

 

All jokes aside, I am struggling with understanding the benefit in doing this mod. It seems like you just end up with a less cushy place to store stuff, maybe a little more room as a result. Its a lot of effort for just that. What am I missing here?

 

I do get the practical side of this vs. the virtually useless seats, but I think it's a lot of work for the result.

However, the addition of some storage (lockable?) as part of the "seat" would change all that. Plus I assume you are still going to do some kind of luggage straps, netting or tie-downs?

Really nice woodwork BTW.

 

My motivation is primarily appearance .... I think the stock back seats look goofy. It's obvious that you can't haul anything but a midget back there and it detracts from the concept of an open two-seater in my opinion.
Since tinkering with the car, and modest woodworking, are my hobbies I enjoy a project like this. And so far, the cost has been under $100 (haven't sourced the vinyl & carpet yet).

 

Ken - you didn't waste any time moving on this - looks great so far!! Can't wait to see the finished product.

 

Is there any way you could stitch the back with channels to mimic the front seats a bit? Not inserts but a full panel of vertical stitching? The plain flat vinyl seems a bit afterthought for the rest of the interior.

 

I agree .... I think rows of vertical stitching on 2" centers would help break up the expanse of vinyl. Very slight padding just to get some 3-D texture. Too much and it will look like a pimp-mobile.
I'll be consulting with a local upholstery shop next week to discuss options.

 

Just match the front seat insert pattern. My local shop is making me some panels of quilted suede to cover my door inserts with so they will match the seats when they are finished.
I like your mod and it reminds me if my friends XJS convertible. Hers had a raised platform with a locking lid and chrome bar handle. I've e seriously thought about that and watching your post gives me the incentive!
I never saw the interior of the storage space but I think it was carpeted.

 

Found this on ebay. This is exactly what my friends XJS had. I remember the back was padded vinyl, maybe with the horizontal quilted lines I think. It looked very intergrated.
The platform was about half way way up the back if the seats. I will say it really made her Xjs feel more like a sports car than a GT.
And her dog LOVED that area. He could see out!!

 

Just found this ...05 XKR - Photos-By-Hut's Photos


Carpet I think. Looks good.

 

Here's the link to that item. When I first say the thread I immediately thought of the XJS rear seat delete section. It would look great in place of an XK8 rear seat set-up. If you go to the link it will show various pictures of the top, bottom, back side of the XJS rear seat delete section....way more functional then the rear seats since it has internal storage, external storage and a top luggage hold down bar.

Jaguar XJS C Cabriolet Rear Deck Storage Assembly Stow Pockets Panels XJSC | eBay

 

I am very curious as to how you mounted the front face. Does it rest on the tunnel & does it go all the way to the floor? What are you using to support the bottom panel in the front?
How far back do you put the seat as I found this was an issue with the height as will as lower panel size? I found out that using a carpet that was used for trunk lining worked best for my needs. I have made three versions of this mod so far due to changes made to the car. If you could post a few more photos I would really appreciate it. Having been thru this project I wish I your woodworking skills instead of relying on others. I wish you the best with your project & have to say respect your skills.

 

When I first started my project that is what we tried to fit. The problem is that the XJS is so much wider in the back seat area that the XK8 the assy was useless. I tried a regular XJS convt the photo is from an XJSC cabriolet. I really wanted the bar across the front but it would not fit.

 

Interesting. IIRC the XK8 was built off the XJS platform which in turn was built off a shortened XJ6 Series III platform. My Lincoln LS is built off the S Type platform (or vice/versa, chicken or egg I guess) and I guess I can clearly see the interior differances but the basic dimensions seem the same.

 

I don't think the XK8 is the old XJS platform, but I could be wrong. The underside is totally different. If you look at the early Aston Martin DB9 you can clearly see it is the same as an XJS, but not so with the XK8/XKR.

 

This article sheds some light. Sorry for the high-jack. Looking forward to more pix of the project!


Jaguar XK8 Convertible - Recipes For Speed - Motor Trend Magazine